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I @ct. 30-, .1923. 1,472,723

J. LERCHE FRANKING MACHINE Filed March 25, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .Ellgrl Get. 30, 1923;.

1. J. LERCHE FRANKING MACHINE 1922 2y Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 25 Patented Oct. 30, 1923.

UNITED STATES V g I 1,472,723 PATENT. OFFICE.

Jt rLIUs LEBCHE, o I E LIN-ZEHLENDORF, GERMANY, ass eivor. T IiHnENr iBRIK VORM. L. FURTWA GLER soHNE A.-G., or FURTWANGEN I/BADEN, GERMANY.

FRANKING MACHINE.

Application filed March 25, 1922. Serial No. 546,802.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ministerialrat J ULIUs Lnnonn, of German nationality, residing at 8 Rotherstieg, Berlin-Zehlendorf, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Im pro-vements in and Relating to Franking Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, of which the followin is a specification.

n franking machines it is of importance to count the number of franking operations carried out. This has been eliected by providing the machines with a counting mecha nism which counts the revolutions of the shaft carrying the franking stamp and consequently' the number of franking impres- 'sions made. In such cases the ofiicial supervising the stamping official can only effectively carry out his supervision by frequently attending to i the machine and taking readings of the counting mechanism.

Further, difiiculties occur when the machine is run for testing purposes, for example for the correct adjustment for thickness or for the colour distributing device, as the revolutions made are counted as franking operations. Revolutions are also counted as 'franking operations when the machine is used for applying ordinary numbering stamp or a cancelling stamp. In such cases readings of the counting mechanism must always be made by the supervisin ofiicer in order that the revolutions not efi ecting franking can be deducted from the total. If however, the

connection of the counting mechanism to the machine is such that in these cases it can be released easily, there is the danger that when used for ranking it may be disconnected with intent to defraud.

Endeavours have hitherto been made to solve these difficulties by cumbersome constructions with a locking device. Such constructions become very complicated when it is desired infone and the same machine to use franking stamps of different values in addition to the ordinary cancelling stamp, for when franking stamps of difierent values are used it is necessary for correct calculation to count separately the impressions made by the stamps of each value. 7 The object of the invention is to adapt a franking machine for useso that all these constructional difficulties and disadvantages in working are obviated in the simplest manner. For this purpose a counting 'mechanism is secured to the stamp head in such a manner that it cannot readily be released therefrom.

A lever is adapted to operate the counting mechanism in co-op'eration with an abutment non-detachably secured to the machine and indispensable for its operation, the lever being so arranged that during the operative rotation of the combined stamp and counting mechanism it is retained by the abutment and thus operates the counter to count every revolution of the stamp.

In the drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively an elevatio-n and plan of the franking machine.

Figure 3 being a section of the stamp on A- Figure 1.

Figs. 1 and 5 are a part section and plan of a second mode of carrying out the invention,

Fig. 6 being a front view of the device,

Fig. 7 7 is a vertical section of a third mode, a

Fig. 8 a plan of Fig. 7 and Fig. 9 a section along the line A-B of Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 shews a modified form of the protecting disc,

Fig. 11 being a section along the line O-D of Fig. 10. I

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. l3, a. is the actual stamp, b is the counting mechanism rigidly connected thereto. for example by rivets, '0 its operating lever, and th fixed abutment.

The lever oor other equivalent operating means is provided on that part of the counting mechanism which moves relatively to the part rigidly connected to the stamp head, in the example illustrated; the casing, when the counting mechanism is brought into the registering position.

If new the stamp, together with the part of the counting mechanismrigidly connected thereto, is turned but the lever is prevented from taking part in this movementb-y a part rigidly connected to the machine frame, for instance by the letter guide plate 05, then the necessary relative movement for the operation of the counting mechanism is produced. I

This relative movement can alsobe produced by the converse arrangement, in which. the shaft of the counting mechanism i rigidly connect-ed to the stamp and the lever is provided in the casing. If now the counting mechanism be arranged, in the known manner, so that the movement of the driving shaft of the counting mechanism relatively to the counter casing advances the unit disc of the counting mechanism through a unit, at a single revolution each revolution, of the stamp carried by the shaft will be counted.

In order to render clear the operation of the parts a, b and 0 ofthe machine, the shaft to carrying these parts andthe counter pressing roller h areindicated. The new device may be carried on the shaft sothat it is removable therefrom, it being as shown in Figure 3, coupled to the shaft by a groove and spring. A countingmechanism must be chosen which does not permit of resetting the numbers.

The new franking machine has. the peculiarity that each stamping carried out thereby is counted whether this is effected properly by the machine, or by hand by rolling over the letter. When using such franking machines it is possible with the same machine to use franking stamps or ordinary cancelling stamps without difficulty, by interchanging and using them as desired. It is only necessary to replace the part a, b, c by another of another value or, for cancelling, by a head without counting mechanism. The inconvenient counter checking hitherto necessary for the operation is thus avoided in the simplest manner. The supervisor may keep the franking stamps under lock, the stamping official demanding those he requires at any time. The position of the counter is ascertained by the supervisor when he gives out and receives back the stamps.

The machine may be allowed to run with the cancelling stamp device, or for testing, or the franking of a mass consignment may be interrupted at any time, and may return to the franking by two hand operations. It is particularly necessary for the supervisor to be present for reading the counting mechanism and to deduct the number of shaft revolutions which are not used for franking as with other counting mechanisms.

If desired the counting mechanism may be arranged for printing.

Although the franking stamp counter according toFigures 1-3 cannot, as it is, be. used for making uncounted stamps, there is nevertheless the danger of its being wrongly used. If the picture block of the stamp does not pass around the whole curvature of the stamp body and if it is possible to bring the lever a into such a position that no part thereof projects over the cylindrical surface of the picture block curvature, then in such a position of the lever the stamp may be rolled off on a support or envelope without causing a relative movement between the lever and casing which is necessary for an operating of the counting mechanism. Any desired stamp impressions, none of which has been counted,

may thus be -made., In order to prevent this, the driving lever may be given the shape of a disc of a more or less large size in such a manner that it cannot be brought into any position where not at least a part thereof projects over the picture block surface within the centre angle embraced by the picture block. The centre angle of the part of the disc must therefore be; greater than 360 degrees less the centre angle embraced by the picture block. The more the centre angle of the disc part exceeds this amount, the smaller will be that part of the picture block which, without producing the described relative movement that is to say without affecting the counting mechanism, can still be rolled off. If the so shaped lever disc 0 projects over the stamp head by an angle of nearly 360 degrees, as this may be seen in Fig. 5, (in this figure the lever c is shown in dottedlinesibesides the disc 0) it can, without it being moved, only a, very small part of the stamp picture be rolled off viz. only a cylinder segment of the smallest angle which, in order to enable a proper operating of the stamp head, must be left uncovered by the lever disc. Apart therefrom this coveringmay be made almost complete, if as shewn in Figs; 46,. the lever disc 0 is provided with a projection e which, when placing the free stamp counting head into position, is allowed to enter a notch of the letter guide all plate so. that the projection will lie flush with the guiding face or even as shown in Fig. 5 will project from the guide face with a small curvature as far as the letter guide is not affected thereby. This projection may eventually still be enlarged so as toform a kind of, a shield whereby, as indicated by dotted-lines in Fig. 6, it replaces even that part of the guide plate which'contains' the opening for allowing the stamp to pass through.

The described lever disc does still not offer a protection in the case if someone, in order to misuse the stamp, places it on a support for instance on the edge of a table in such a manner that the disc- 0 lies free and outsideof the support of the letter and upon a rolling off of the stamp does not come into contact with these supports and is therefore unaffected. If also this shall be. preventetd, a full protection is offered by the modification shewn in Figs. 7-9 embodying the described principle. In this case in connection with the disc 0 a disc 0 embracing the stamp body has been used. It makes it quite impossible'that uncounted stamps are fraudulently produced by rolling ashere the disc 0 which strikes against the immovable letter guide plate (Z during the revolution of the stamp head and thereby produces the operation of the counting mechanism, is immediately arranged in the plane of the stamp picture. For constructional reasons it'may be desirable to give the discs which as a rule are carried freelya support by a piece 0 which passes around a projection of the stamp head. Also this part as indicated by the cross shaped design (Fig. 9), can be constructed as a protecting piece in accordance with the described principle. lVhen using the disc 0 embracing the stamp body (Figs. 7 and 8) it may be difiicult to bring the dye roller against the stamp. Figs. 10 and 11 shew the manner how in such a case the protecting disc should be shaped. Here the disc 0 is arranged above the stamp head a and the roller f from which it receives the colour and passes ove'r'the stamp head by means of flaps 9 after the style of a hood and in a downward direction in such a manner that at the place where the colour roller shall meet the stamp head, the flap is fitted with a notch Also 0 (Figs. 7 and 9) may be provided with flaps which are constructed as shewn at 0 with the exception that in this case they secure the stamp head by reaching upward only.

The partmentioned in the description as the lever of the counting mechanism need not be made in the shape of a lever in case of all arrangements and it suffices if its rotating spindle is rigidly connected to the discs, casings, etc.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a franking stamp, a stamp head, a counting mechanism non-detachably connected thereto, both being exchangeable together, a part connected with the counting mechanism, and a stationary abutment for retaining the said part during the revolution of the stamp head.

2. In a franking stamp, a stamp head, a counting mechanism non-detachably connected thereto, both being exchangeable together, a part fixed on the axle of the counting mechanism, and a stationary abutment for retaining the said part during the revolution of the stamp head.

3. In a franking stamp, a stamp head, a counting mechanism non-detachably connected thereto, both being exchangeable together, a disc fixed on. the axle of the counting mechanism, and an immovable abutment for retaining the disc during the revolution of the stamp head.

4. In a franking stamp, a stamp head, a counting mechanism non-detachably connected thereto, both being exchangeable together, a disc connected with the counting mechanism and embracing the stamp head in a cage-like manner, and a stationary abutment for retaining the said disc during the revolution of the stamp head.

5. In a franking stamp, a stam head, va counting mechanism non-detacha ly connected thereto, both being exchangeable together, a disc connected with the counting mechanism, said disc having flaps passing over the stamp head and being provided with a notch for a color roller, and an immovable abutment for retaining the said disc during the revolution of the stamp head. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JULIUS LEROHE. Witnesses:

E. HOLZERMAN, ARTHUR SOHROEDER. 

